Carlos Santana will start the season in Triple-A after recovering from right hand surgery, but he isn't long for there; he has climbed the farm ladder quickly. The switch-hitter's batted balls enter air often. If you could get by with a replacement-level option while stashing him in ALs or deep mixed leagues, go for it. He'll probably sneak below many radars.

Lou Marson is an OK Carlos Santana preshow. His biggest asset, though, is playing time. Deep two-catcher mixers and AL-only drafters should pay the most, but he might be removed from the starting job by midseason.

The vet was brought in to be a glorified mentor to the Tribe's young backstops. Mike Redmond's best shot at roto value is earning AL worth if Lou Marson slumps and Carlos Santana doesn't hit the bigs this year. Don't hold your breath.

Russell Branyan is lined up for full-time duty in Cleveland. Visual exercises improved hand-eye coordination, which probably aided in sustaining power. Batting eye is still terrible. His BA eventually slipped along with his health. Can he hold up for a full season? Increased exposure to lefties gives hope for growth, but how much can the 34-year-old former platoon player add to his skill set? Bid cautiously for the bench power in deep leagues.

Showed some minor league improvements under hitting coach Jon Nunnally (now Cleveland's bats coach). Nice story, but Andy Marte's tale is tiresome. He showed some flyball and contact growth. He may see some time replacing Matt LaPorta (toe, hip), but Marte hasn't even sniffed his hype. ALers can browse in the end game, but don't attach any strings.

Toe and hip surgeries cloud Matt LaPorta's Opening Day status, but timetable isn't bleak. Reports credit his expanded use of all fields late last year, but he'll probably have growing pains in his batting eye. LaPorta's contact rate isn't terrible for a hacker, though. Will probably start in left field but will also see time at first base, in all likelihood. Draft the power and consider everything else a bonus; he's an end-gamer in deep mixed.

Luis Valbuena's leash probably isn't extensive, but he has the inside track to start. He'll probably sit occasionally against left-handers. Valbuena's line-drive prowess carried over from Triple-A - a good sign of growth for his first full season. Double-digit steals aren't out of range. A low-level AL-only and mixed investment could earn you a few bucks.

Jhonny Peralta's transition to the hot corner probably aided his extended slump. Flyballs and homers rebounded as the year went on. The former was on the rise heading into last year. His late-round mixed price tag offers a decent gamble on his power returning; based on Peralta's weak batting eye trend, that'll probably return well before his clip shows progress.

Even after a bloated BABIP, increases in groundball, line-drive and contact rates should keep Asdrubal Cabrera hovering around .300; he's tailoring his game. Also, what many have been waiting for: increased stolen base accuracy and attempt percentages; he's using his speed. He might sneak into the top 10 mixed shorties; those who need to make up in steals and clip should probably throw an extra dollar or two at him.

Competing with several other players for a utility infield spot and maybe some second-base starts.Brian Bixler's batting eye doesn't give him a great advantage, but he has some speed. He belongs on post-draft watch lists in AL leagues.

Battling some other scraps for a backup infield job and potentially some occasional starts at second. Jason Donald, who hasn't played an MLB inning, should be ignored in drafts even if he wins that contest; throw him on your AL-only watch list.

This Crowe can fly but doesn't do much else. Trevor Crowe's BB/K doesn't project immediate MLB success. AL-only drafters could place him on deep rosters in hope of some steals during his sub work, but not much else sparks interest.

Speed first, wait on everything else. Elite farm batting eye might ease transition. Take a late flier on Michael Brantley's swipes in mixed; that'll make him a tad more expensive in ALs, but the extra dollar will probably be worth it if he's your No. 5 outfielder.

Possible average killer: a stumbling of Shin-Soo Choo's batting eye, which is buoyed by his high-level walk rate. Line drives keep his clip up, though. His mediocre contact rate doesn't forecast further growth. He was fortunate in his steals success; that should come down. You'll pay for his five-category contribution, but he's a worthy safety valve within the first six mixed rounds.

Elbow and groin injuries hampered Grady Sizemore before he underwent two surgeries, but Sizemore was leaving the yard, making contact and putting balls in the air often anyway. Renewed strength should extract more from his abilities. .300 hitter? No, but a 20-20 threat (minimum) when healthy. Return him to top-30 value. Take advantage if a fear-induced discount breaks out.

Rebounds in batting eye and flyballs hint at Travis Hafner's pre-2008 value. But how much upside can you really expect in his age-33 season, even if he proves to be somewhat healthy? You're paying for maybe 20 homers, a hopefully .270 average and moderate gains or neutral affect in most other candidates. You shouldn't spend much for a roster-clogging commodity that could be post-draft material in deep mixed; AL-only drafters should avoid relying on him unless his price is clearance rate.

Groundball-reliant, dominance-light righty performed well in winter ball, making some adjustments that reportedly improved his sinking fastball and slider. Fausto Carmona's slight uptick in strikeouts and hugely lucky BABIP spiked his value in '07. It would take similar circumstances now. However, his strand rate has been an issue in the last two seasons - a mature approach with runners on base would help make him valuable in-season. Put him on your mixed watch list and take a late stab on him in AL-only end-games. In mono, he could be cheap gold.

Chris Perezhit stride in middle of the season when he harnessed the potential in his dangerous slider. Fixed his control issues before late-season blowup. Flyballs still a problem. He'll start 2010 as closer with Kerry Wood on the DL. Perez is a No. 3 mixed closer and should be kept on deep rosters even if/when Wood returns.

Don't ignore Kerry Wood's improvements after July. He brought his cutter back and helped normalize his HR/FB. Flyball rise scary, but his grounders climbed for the second straight year. He'll be sidelined for six to eight weeks but is still a good stash commodity in deep leagues for when he comes back from the DL. It might be a long stay, but if you're afraid of your closer crop, you could do worse than grabbing him as insurance.